Committee endorses Anthony Foxx to lead the DOT

Anthony Foxx is well on his way to becoming the next U.S. secretary of transportation. Foxx received unanimous approval from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Monday, June 10.

Foxx, who has been the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., since late 2009, has not faced much in the way of pushback since President Obama nominated him in April. Foxx breezed through committee questions during a hearing in May, although his only transportation experience comes from his tenure as mayor.

Foxx did go on record during the hearing as saying interstate tolling should not be viewed as a solution to the transportation funding crisis in the U.S.

His endorsement from the Commerce Committee tees up a confirmation vote in the full Senate for Foxx as well as the president’s nominee for commerce secretary, Penny Pritzker.

“There has been strong bipartisan support for these nominees, and it was evident again today when they were both voted unanimously out of the Commerce Committee. I urge my colleagues to act quickly now to schedule votes on their nominations.”

If and when he is confirmed by the Senate, Foxx will take the helm from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who announced in January he would resign once his replacement was confirmed.

The previous four secretaries of transportation were Mary Peters, Norman Mineta, Rodney Slater and Federico Peña. Mineta held the longest tenure with five and-a-half years at the post. Peters’ term was the shortest at two years, three months, while Slater and Peña served four years each.